Gays form their own political party, to fight assembly elections

Bengaluru. Encouraged by the fact that the central government didn’t ask for stay on Delhi High Court’s order on section 377 legalizing gay sex, gays have announced formation of Bhartiya Samlaingik Party (BSP), a political party representing people with alternative sexualities especially gays, lesbians, transsexuals and bisexuals. The new party will contest the coming assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh and will put up candidates on all the seats.

“BSP candidates would not necessarily be homosexuals, but we’d prefer and encourage homosexuals to come out in open and fight elections.” founding president of the BSP Ahmed Anju Iyer told a jampacked press conference, clarifying that the president of BSP would always be a gay though.

BSP declared three central issues around which its political campaign will revolve – Abrogation of Section 377 of Indian Penile Penal Code, Formation of a Homosexual Personal Law, and Building a grand mall/multiplex in Bengaluru for central activities of homosexuals in India that will be called Golmall (Gays Or Lesbians Mall).

Mr. Iyer, accompanies by gay rights activists, argued that time was ripe for gays and other groups to form a pressure group by entering politics. He warned that homosexuals would no longer tolerate victimization of their community and disrespect shown to their beliefs. He claimed that homosexuals were the most discriminated against minority group in India.

Time for a new beginning

“Gays are shown as funny people in Bollywood movies and gay jokes go unchecked on internet. Till recently, we used to tolerate such stuff but then we realized that in India people take you seriously only when you show pigheaded intolerance. We can’t change ourselves overnight but now we have learnt to stand up for our rights. And the results have been encouraging. Last year, this government had filed an affidavit in court arguing that we were a social vice and possessed pervert minds! Now the same government is wary of rubbing us the wrong way. BSP will make sure that no government in future tries to rub us the wrong way.” Mr. Iyer explained the political agenda.

Mr. Iyer cautioned that if victimization and criminal branding of homosexuals didn’t stop, some of them might be even forced to become terrorists. He informed that he has come to know of a group that has been formed to present the militant face of homosexuality. The group is called Homosexual Initiative for Militancy in India (HIMI). When journalists asked whether he was getting into unlawful activities through HIMI and talks of terrorism, Mr. Iyer refuted these charges as baseless.

“HIMI is not directly associated with us and we don’t know who the members of HIMI are. It might well be a conspiracy to defame homosexuals, we don’t know. But threat of terrorism looms large. I just want to caution our fellow citizens that a victimized minority group usually takes the path of terrorism and some of us may go that way.” Mr. Iyer expressed his concerns.

Mr. Iyer was candid enough to admit that absence of a common religion among homosexuals was the main reason why Indian homosexuals have not been able to form a pressure group or carry terrorist attacks till now. He claimed that the recent initiatives by Church in West to have special churches for homosexuals were attempts to convert homosexuals and weaken their attempts to form a pressure group.

The manifesto and constitution of BSP will be released next week and currently the thrust will be to induct new members. The party has not ruled out any seat sharing arrangement or post-poll alliance with another political party if it furthers the interests of gays and lesbians.